Organization Will Give Underprivileged Children Free Tickets To See ‘A Wrinkle In Time’ At AMC Theaters

A month ahead of the premiere of Disney’s upcoming film A Wrinkle in Time, AMC Theaters has announced that it is giving away free tickets to allow underprivileged children to watch the movie. The “Give a Child the Universe” initiative, led by racial justice organization Color of Change, has partnered with AMC Theaters to buy tickets for kids who cannot afford to see Disney’s adaptation of the Madeleine L’Engle classic.

“Give a Child the Universe” encourages people to buy matinee tickets to A Wrinkle in Time and donate it to the kids. All tickets gathered from benefactors will then be distributed to local partners, including school and community-based organizations, E! News wrote.

In an official statement, Color of Change said that they would like young people to see a film that presents “inclusive, empathetic human portrayals of black people and people of color.” Much like the critically acclaimed Black Panther,A Wrinkle in Time is already drawing praise for its expanded representation of people of color and women.

AMC Theaters is the largest cinema chain across the United States, with more 8,200 screens in 661 locations. The company’s vice president of special content, Nikkole Denson-Randolph, said children from all backgrounds can identify with A Wrinkle in Time and draw inspiration from it.

Similarly, a woman in Tupelo, Mississippi, teamed up with an organization called Real Men Stand Up to bring kids to see Black Panther for free. Actress Octavia Spencer also did the same, when she announced that she would “buy out a theatre in an underserved community” so that children of color can see the Marvel movie and “see themselves as a superhero,” CNN reported.

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A Wrinkle in Time stars Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, and up-and-coming star Storm Reid. The film is directed by renowned director Ava DuVernay, who helmed the Academy Award-nominated film Selma and documentary 13th.

The fantasy film is a feat for DuVernay and Disney as A Wrinkle in Time is the first movie with a $100 million budget that was directed by a woman of color. The film is penned by Jennifer Lee, based on the L’Engle’s 1962 novel of the same name.